Manchester City vs Brighton – Match preview and team news
Manchester City welcome a high-flying Brighton to the Etihad Stadium this weekend.
The Premier League champions have the opportunity to break into the top four with a win this afternoon. Pep Guardiola and his players are two points behind fourth-place Chelsea, who travel to Arsenal on Sunday.
City’s current defensive options lack depth due to injuries. Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and John Stones are all out with long-term issues, with the latter missing out on Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad as a consequence.
Ederson 🤝 Haaland
⏮️ Our 2022 victory against Brighton 💪 pic.twitter.com/4NWjFbe6ce
— Manchester City (@ManCity) March 14, 2025
Oscar Bobb hasn’t appeared since the Community Shield match against rivals Manchester United in August due to a broken leg. The 21-year-old is being eased back into action with the development squad.
Brighton can surpass today’s opponents in the table, but they’ll have to achieve something unprecedented. In seven attempts, the Seagulls have never won at the Etihad. In fact, the last time the club picked up even a point away to Manchester City was way back in 1982, when they drew 1-1 at Maine Road.
Fabian Hurzeler isn’t able to depend upon his captain for the trip to Manchester. Lewis Dunk is recovering well but isn’t expected back until after the international break. Matt O’Riley is still struggling with a knee problem and the midfielder will also consider the forthcoming two-week break as a window to regain full fitness.
Manchester City vs Brighton – Match preview and team news
Form
Manchester City: LLWWL
Manchester City’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League took a blow last weekend as they lost to Nottingham Forest.
Callum Hudson-Odoi netted the decisive goal of the contest in the closing stages to take third-place Forest four points clear of City.
Their ninth league defeat of the season equalled their most losses in a campaign under Pep Guardiola.
The last time they recorded nine defeats was in the 2019/20 season. Liverpool lifted the title that year and the outcome this time could follow suit.
Brighton: WWWWW
Brighton have found their groove under Fabian Hurzeler and have collected the maximum reward from their last six outings.
Two of those victories have come in the FA Cup, which has booked them a quarter-final tie with Nottingham Forest.
Last weekend, a 98th-minute penalty from Joao Pedro helped them overcome Fulham in dramatic fashion.
With it looking likely that England will be allocated five Champions League spots, Brighton have a realistic chance of qualifying for Europe’s elite competition for the first time in their history.
Last Meeting
Brighton 2-1 Manchester City, Premier League, 9th November 2024
Brighton staged a late comeback in the last encounter to beat a vulnerable Manchester City 2-1 on the South Coast.
The visitors were in the midst of a tough spell after losing three games on the spin.
However, they looked back to their best early on and took the lead midway through the first period.
Mateo Kovacic’s defence-splitting pass found Erling Haaland who struck directly at goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Despite the Dutch stopper and Jan Paul van Hecke’s best efforts, the Norwegian managed to force the ball over the line, with the help of the crossbar.
Moments after the woodwork had come to his aid, a combination of Verbruggen and the post denied Haaland a swift second.
The hosts were much improved after the interval and began to pose a threat to Ederson’s goal. Jack Hinshelwood’s connection with Pervis Estupinan’s cross was solid, but his header was straight at the Brazilian.
With 12 minutes remaining, Fabian Hurzeler’s side restored parity. A desperate scramble inside the box was poorly dealt with by City. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol both failed to clear their lines and Joao Pedro was perfectly placed to apply a finishing touch.
The reigning champions then crumbled under the growing pressure and conceded again minutes later.
On his Premier League debut, substitute Matt O’Riley was the hero. Pedro was influential in the move, as he slipped in the Dane who calmly slotted past Ederson.
Demoralised by the Brighton comeback, Pep Guardiola’s side couldn’t respond and fell to their fourth successive defeat.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City: Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Dias, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Kovacic; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland.
Brighton: Verbruggen; Hinshelwood, Van Hecke, Webster, Estupinan; Baleba, Wieffer; Minteh, Rutter, Mitoma; Joao Pedro.
Who is the referee?
Simon Hooper will be the match official. Adrian Holmes and Simon Long will assist him while Anthony Taylor will be the fourth official. The VAR will be James Bell and he will be assisted by Nick Hopton.
What TV channel is Manchester City vs Brighton on?
Manchester City vs Brighton will not be available to watch live in the United Kingdom.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off at the Etihad Stadium will be at 15:00 GMT on Saturday 15th March 2025.
Manchester City vs Brighton Match Odds
Manchester City: 7/10
Draw: 10/3
Brighton: 10/3
Read – 5️⃣ spicy fixtures you must watch this weekend 🌶
See more – The best England XI of players omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s first squad
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